The two grapes that really steal the show in your Bordeaux reds are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. There’s a big difference in style between the two. So, how do they taste different, and how do you know which one you’re getting (cause it won’t say on the label)?

What is a Bordeaux? How did it get so popular? Is there more to Bordeaux than just reds? Do you know these three surprising facts about Bordeaux?

It’s New Year’s Resolutions time! In other words, let’s eat more healthily and drink more thoughtfully and maybe you want to find some of that wine with low, or better yet, no added sugar! Well what if I told you that the idea of low/no sugar wines is a total myth? Ok, so what’s the reaaaaaaal story about sugar in wine? (We think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised 😉

Did you know that the idea that red wines are for winter and white wines are for summer is one of the biggest misconceptions about wine and drinking?!

This is based on the assumption that reds are to be served at room temperature and whites should be at fridge temperature.

But guess what! The serving temperature of wine actually has nothing to do with a wine’s color. So what is it based on?!?!

Champagne doesn’t always have to crowd the spotlight. There is a sparkling wine out there that is the perfect go-to bubbly that will consistently impress your friends, please your palate, and not burn holes in your pockets. Find out our absolute favorite bubbly for when you’re a lush on a budget.

Traditionally, champagne has added sugar! Now don’t freak out—this isn’t the same as a kid pouring sugar onto their parent’s plain Special K cereal to create some kind of fizzy crack.

Luckily, there are clues on champagne labels that will give you a bit of an idea as to what that champagne is like and if it will suit your champagne needs-of-the-moment! Read on for details about each champagne category and what this reeaaaally means for each particular champagne. How will it taste? What’s it good for? Will you like it? Should you buy it?

There seems to be lots of trepidation about storing, serving, and drinking sparkling wine the right way. We have a few opinions about this. But before I get on a little soapbox about what I think is of the utmost importance…Here are the three most common mistakes people make when drinking sparkling wine.

Champagne! No other wine has the reputation champagne does. In fact, champagne has become such a global icon that the word ‘champagne’ has become an eponym for any and every bubbly. Which brings me to our first, and the most important, thing you must know about Champagne…

Depending on what your Thanksgiving looks like it could include an array of different food menus. What if I told you I had a magic wand that could make one wine pair with (nearly) every single food item imaginable?

But for now, we’re going to talk about the glory days of Beaujolais, how this paved the way for its fall and (to put it bluntly) its subsequent shi*t reputation. And all of that has to do with Beaujolais Nouveau.

Hopefully in Beaujolais 101 we’ve convinced you all to love Beaujolais and you’re ready to run out and buy one (or two or five) right now! Great, so what do you look for? How do you shop for it? 

We’ll be starting in France with a region that is commonly misunderstood and has quite the tumultuous history. However, in recent decades it’s been subject to something of a revival, with the region and the grape variety associated with it becoming a bit of a fashionable pin-up in the wine world.

Grape varietal doesn’t matter! Ok, ok. This isn’t 100% true. But, what is true is that where a wine is from (aka region, aka a wine’s terroir) is just as important, if not more important than the varietal.

Focusing on grape variety only is like talking about what a piece of chicken tastes like without taking into account the entire periphery. Was it grilled? Poached? Roasted? Breast, legs, thighs? Was it marinated in molasses BBQ sauce or is it a version of chicken piccata? Oh, it’s a spicy Popeye’s chicken sandwich?

Last year, during a members-only class with one of our favorite Willamette Valley winemakers, we started out talking about the usual stuff—why Pinot Noir rocks, why Chardonnay especially rocks—and then the conversation took a slight left turn and we spent about thirty-odd minutes talking about egg whites….Yes, you heard me right, egg whites.

We’ll show you how you can be a happier and more satisfied natural wine drinker. Here’s a little sneak peek into an age-old question…the question we get asked a lot…natural wine…cute and all, but can natural wine age?

Is organic wine* better for you? Is it healthier? Basically, is organic wine worth writing home about? Short answer: eh, not necessarily. “What, but it sounds so promising! So whyyyy?” you ask.